Underwater Night
by eryxl
Summary: At night and underwater, Hinata finds the courage to have her first kiss.
1. Courage in Darkness

A/N: A short Gaara/Hinata for LuteLyre. :) I may or may not continue it.

Underwater Night

Beside my feelings

Speech pales

And so

To say how I feel for you

I have no words at all. - Taira no Sadafun

A shadow passed in front of the full moon. Hinata watched as a figure walked on the rooftops - the silhouette of a gourd meant that it had to be the Kazekage. What was he doing out at night without any guards? Gaara didn't need any, though, but it was late enough that most people were asleep. Hinata was on one of her late night walks used for thinking and to tire her enough to sleep. Her worries culminated in insomnia most of the time.

Her curiosity rose and she jumped to the roof quietly to follow him. He leapt over the gaps between two roofs with a nonchalant effortlessness, almost as if his mind was somewhere else. She thought that she was a safe distance away from him, but then he stopped.

She opened her mouth to speak and a flash of sand shot towards her. It hit her left side, throwing her off balance. "Gaara-sama," she said. "My name is Hinata. I do not wish to harm you." Her arm ached a little from the sand pushing it back, but it didn't matter. The night cloaked her in a comforting embrace and gave her a strange confidence.

Gaara was silent for a few moments. Hinata curled her fingers as she waited for a response. "Where are you going?" he asked at last.

She smiled in the dark. "My favorite place. Follow me."

* * *

><p>Gaara had no idea why he was following the pale-eyed woman to somewhere unknown. Curiosity. Anything to escape the strands of nightmares. Sleep was next to impossible; the fear of being trapped in his own mind lingered. He doubted it would ever disappear.<p>

Odd, grains of his sand did not grate his skin around her like it did with other people. The sand armor loosened its claustrophobic grip on him a fraction when he looked at her.

It meant nothing.

They moved past houses, the end of a neighborhood, towards a forest. His patience wore thin. Sand prickled on his back and then she stopped in front of a small lake.

So much water on the ground, lying there, wasteful. Cool. Refreshing.

He waded into the lake until the water reached his knees. The temperature of the liquid sent chills up his spine, almost numbing. Water splashed softly behind him and he glanced back to see Hinata moving towards him. Past him. The depths of the lake entranced her - she stared ahead at the reflection of the moon on the surface.

Gaara laid his gourd on the lake's bank and treaded long steps to catch up to her. Water clung to his sandy skin and it became heavier, yet the sensation of submersing his body was too great to stop.

He walked until the water was too deep and he had to kick his legs to stay afloat. The two of them continued. Then, _then_ - Gaara dived underwater. His eyes were open and he could see a few feet in front of him. Night vision was the only benefit of being Shukaku's previous host.

His peripheral vision caught Hinata besides him. He turned his head to look at her. Their eyes met and she reached to touch his arm. He pulled it away from her grasp, but she had already propelled herself close to him. Too close.

Their mouths touched. He'd seen this before, once, and never experienced it himself. When Gaara startled and tried to swim away, his mouth pressed against Hinata's harder. Her teeth were firm behind the soft fleshiness of her lips, and his lips compressed hers.

It was unlike anything he had ever felt. He wanted more.

They sank deeper into the lake's depths. Sand and water swallowed him, slowed his movements while adrenaline struck his body. Control, delicious control - he pushed his thin lips against her springy ones, more and more. Experimenting.

She teased his mouth open and sealed her lips around his to prevent the water from rushing into their mouths. Gaara's hands found their way to her hair. Fingers gripped her head as she revealed the warm and dampness of her mouth. His tongue clashed against hers and his teeth nipped the edges of Hinata's mouth.

More.

His teeth scraped her lower lip and heat rushed below his navel. She broke away from him and he gripped her shoulders in protest. Hinata pointed upwards - she needed air.

They swam to the surface.

* * *

><p>Chilly air touched Hinata's skin as she surfaced and with it, guilt flooded her mind. What had she done? She might have blushed if her skin hadn't been so cold. Glancing at him after he surfaced too only made her feel worse and she looked away to the right. "I-I'm sorry, Gaara-sama," she said. "I should not have forced myself on you like that. It was <em>wrong<em> and I apologize." Her hands fluttered faster in the water to keep her afloat.

He was silent and she thought that she should continue. "I want to be your friend, if you don't mind, but I promise I won't kiss you again." There was something dark and appealing about getting to know him. She dared to look at him now to note his reaction.

A few moments passed in silence as she waited for him to speak. "Kiss," Gaara murmured. It seemed like he hadn't heard the word before. His confused expression remained as he looked at her pull herself up to stand on the water's surface with chakra-bound feet. Hinata knew it was better to leave before she made an even bigger fool out of herself.

He moved to join her standing on the water, but his doing so made her want to take a couple of steps backwards. "Friends do not kiss," he stated, but his tone of voice made it seem more of a question.

"No, they don't," Hinata said.

"But I want to do it again." Gaara's words made her blush. "Making friends is difficult for me." Hinata could see the disappointment there, his trust that had been broken.

"Me too." Her eyes were soft then. "I hope we can try."

They walked back to the streets together without speaking, the silence falling gently on their shoulders. Hinata said goodnight with a smile.


	2. Mist

Mist

A/N: Thank you to LuteLyre for her helpful comments and encouragement! Please read and let me know what you think. :)

* * *

><p>The next day began as usual, disturbingly so. Hinata was positive that somehow the whole village knew madness possessed her to kiss the Kazekage. The guilt of what she had done weighed on her and made it difficult for her to concentrate on anything else. To her misfortune, she happened to have an observant teammate who was training with her that morning. Her punches were sloppy and after the fifth one, Shino stopped and focused on her.<p>

He always stared without moving an inch and it was off-putting. Hinata squirmed under his gaze and she knew she'd crack if he asked her anything.

"Your moves lack energy and focus," Shino stated. She worried her lip, hesitating for a few seconds until the pressure was too much.

"I- I did something I shouldn't have," she blurted. Shino said nothing and tilted his head a little to the right. She knew that he wanted her to explain, or he was running through a list of possibilities in his normal calculatory mode. "It's nothing that serious. F-forget I said anything… I have to go." Hinata turned and rushed back in the direction of the Hyuuga estate. Her cheeks burned in shame – she knew that Shino wouldn't buy that and ask her later what was really the matter, but she couldn't stay to risk any more questioning at the moment.

Practicing Gentle Fist at home was not so preferable, although no one would be at home now. So for the next few hours, Hinata trained without a break and then collapsed in the bath. The water calmed her as it always did.

Day melted into evening and Hinata changed into slightly warmer clothing before leaving the house. She walked onto the street and noticed a blanket of mist had fallen close to the ground, hovering around the street lamps.

There was a street vendor selling pineapple pieces on sticks and she bought two. Hinata had not eaten dinner and her stomach was too twisted for her to eat much. The pineapple's tanginess left a pleasant aftertaste in her mouth and the piece dripped drops of juice as she bit into it.

Onward she moved, without thinking, towards the lake. Her heart hammered quicker in her chest as she neared it. How alive she had felt! And yet – she knew that it could never happen again. Why would the Kazekage want to be friends with her when he had a whole village of his own? No doubt he already had enough friends, though he was a quiet type of person –

"Hinata-san," a voice sounded from behind her and she startled. Who had the ability to be so quiet? Oh.

"Gaara-sama," she said, almost breathlessly. She tried to focus on his face despite her anxiety. "What are you doing here?" A breeze shifted the strands of hair on his forehead and her eyes caught the movement. His stance was solid with a hint of vulnerability. Seconds passed as she waited for him to reply.

"I am taking a walk," he said, "but I will go if you prefer." She never meant for him to be uncomfortable and heat rushed to her face.

"You don't have to!" Hinata said and held out the pineapple kebob she'd been saving – for him, she realized.

* * *

><p>Gaara gazed at the snack she offered him. Not many people offered him food. He could remember more times when his victims pleaded for mercy. He had no shame for his actions in the past; he might be Kazekage, but there were occasions when he saw through their obedient armor. The cracks. The fear was still there. He smelled it.<p>

Hinata stank of shame. Fear. Of herself, maybe. He accepted the pineapple stick after a few moments. Took a bite and swallowed. Even the food here contained so much water. _Careful, don't become addicted. _He liked the sweetness with a hint of acid. It prickled his tongue's edges.

She looked at him with wide eyes. What was he supposed to say? "It's good," he said. Truth. No lies. He drowned in them every day. She smiled.

He felt mist droplets fall on his face and dampen his skin. A few landed in his eyes. He blinked.

Hinata edged towards the water and walked on the surface with chakra-bound feet. He followed her. They moved to the lake's center.

Gaara watched as Hinata bit into a pineapple piece. She ate and looked at him.

"One of my favorite sights is the view of Konoha at night. It's so peaceful," she said. "You can hear the crickets chirping in the summer time too."

"In Suna, the wind howls," Gaara stated. It was nothing much, but it caught her interest.

"What do you like about your village?" Hinata asked. He hadn't had that question before and did not know how to answer. Hard to think of what he liked.

Was there anything? "When the sand catches the moonlight." Gaara spent many hours looking at the vast emptiness. Nothingness. It calmed him, stopped him sleeping. Now there were many times when he doubted he was awake. He still felt hazy, foggy-minded on occasion. Or that he'd fall asleep and feel Shukaku's chakra usurping him.

Hinata nodded before her eyes swept over the lake's surface. "It's the earth's gift to us. Seeing things no one else would in that spot, at the right moment." The earth was just there, Gaara thought, but on occasion, he saw a glimmer of beauty. Unlike people. Their hearts were warped. Dull eyes. Hinata's had an eerie glow in the dark. Moon glow.

He wondered if anyone else had noticed it before him. "Hardly anything is beautiful," he said. She shifted her weight a little and the water splashed softly beneath her feet.

"I know. That's why it's even more meaningful when we find beauty." Her words resonated quietly in his head for a while afterwards. He didn't know why. They were both silent for a few minutes, staring out over the lake.

He had no idea what to say. His nerves agitated his sand armor's outer layer. A prickling ran down his spine when he looked at Hinata. Again, then again.

He took a step away to erase the feeling and failed. Moving towards her just made it worse.

"When do you return to Suna?" she asked in little more than a murmur.

He searched for the answer, distracted. "Day after tomorrow." Hinata frowned. Was she sad?

* * *

><p>Her expression disappeared and her voice was lighter. "I hope we can meet tomorrow," she said.<p>

"I don't sleep much," was Gaara's reply. Perhps she just guessed from her experience with a taciturn Shino, but she took that to mean they'd meet late at night. Later than this, as it was only 9:15 pm. She blushed as she had a surge of daring.

"Just find the Hyuuga clan home if you'd like. Avoid the guards, though."

"I will."

Somehow, she did not think that would be much of a problem for him. A smile shone on her face. "Thank you."

He gave her a blank look and she wondered if that had been the right thing to say. Nevertheless, it did mean a great deal to her. Part of her wanted to see a smile on his face, or at the very least, a hint of relaxation in his stance. He was tense, guarded, and there was no reason to be that around her.

"You're welcome." The sudden arrival of his bodyguards interrupted them. Gaara had to return to his room for safety (as if she was dangerous!) and he had several meetings tomorrow.

She bid him goodbye in the few seconds they had left and their eyes met. Hinata's heart pounded and continued until Gaara was out of sight. Tomorrow, she thought. The start of something new.


	3. Restless

A/N: Welcome to the next installment, wherein you'll see a restless Gaara, a sly Hinata, and a homage to one of my fav childhood films. Enjoy and please leave feedback!

Restless

Gaara had meetings in the morning, regarding trading and security between Konoha, Suna, and a village in Grass Country. One of the necessities of being the Kazekage was to attend meetings like this, but he had difficulty paying attention today.

"The second guard post has reported bandits attacking three times within the last month," said an official, but then his words started to blend into each other. "Important…goods… shaking… Intense-"

His kiss with Hinata had been intense. He had felt the warmth from her body. He hadn't been so close to another person in an intimate way. Ever. He remembered as many details about that night as possible. He wondered what people looked like when they felt pleasure – what she looked like. Wide eyes, red face, the blush flooding down –

(_the blood dripping from her lifeless body-_) _No._ The voice sounding like Shukaku reared its head, as it did when he was more emotional than usual. He knew the demon was gone and yet it had bled into his subconscious.

He furrowed his brow. _She wants to be my friend. She won't try to kill me._

_(You don't know that.) _

_No, I don't._ Sobering thought. _She says she wants to be my friend. But friends don't kiss._

_(You want to claim her. Do it. Pin her down, push until she bleeds-)_

_No._

_(Now you're lying to yourself. And here I thought you detested lies.)_ He was right. That sick, twisted voice was right. As much as Gaara tried to shake the thought from his foggy, sleep-deprived mind, it stuck.

A lurking hunger flickered to life and clawed deeper into him when he focused on Hinata. Similar to his anger and urge to kill. It scared and disgusted him. He still wanted more. She didn't fear his touch.

Was that friendship? No idea.

Time passed slowly. Too slow. At last, the meetings were over and he walked back in the direction of the guest room. Gaara paused. Restlessness gripped him. Doubtful he could last until evening to see her. He promised. Kazekages kept their promises.

His fingers twitched. Fighting to relieve stress. Needed it now. With whom?

He jumped to the street and walked. Next ninja he saw would be his opponent. _(Victim.) _Three minutes passed. No one but civilians. Frustrated, he turned to the right and continued down the street. Sand crawled on his skin.

Then at last, a shinobi. He had black sunglasses and spiky dark hair. He'd do. Maybe he'd seen the man fight in the Chuunin exams. Couldn't remember.

"You," he stated as he blocked the shinobi's path. "Fight me now." The shinobi straightened his posture and faced Gaara.

"I accept. Follow me to the nearest training grounds," he said, gesturing to the right with his head. They started to walk at a decent speed. Gaara was statisfied to have found a way to relieve tension. "My name is Shino Aburame," the man added. Names hardly mattered. Gaara doubted he'd remember it.

They reached the training ground and took their battle stances. The cork flew from his gourd, sand swirling in the air above him and Gaara shot a wave at Shino. Shino jumped to avoid the attack and outstretched a hand at him. Black insects shot from his sleeves, flying towards Gaara in a rush.

They fought. Gaara won, of course. He was so on edge that his attacks were quicker and distempered, thoughtless. Instead of being stationery as usual, he zigzagged across the training ground. Beads of sweat threatened to form and he turned to leave after they had finished. No idle chatter afterwards, not preferred. He was unfortunate; Aburame increased his pace to reach Gaara's side.

"Do you often demand fights from Konoha shinobi?" the other man asked.

"No. This is an unusual occurance." Gaara's tone was clipped. The sooner he could get out of this, the better.

"I see. Next time, I will be a more difficult opponent." Shino's words did not incite a reaction in Gaara. Instead, his shoulders tensed and he walked away, back to his room.

Tonight couldn't come soon enough.

0000

Hinata had been cleaning her room, as she did every week, when someone told her that her father requested to see her. This was not a common occurance and to be honest, she tried not to draw any attention to herself. It was difficult when she was the heiress of the Hyuuga, but she thought it was wise. She still tried her best, but she wanted to follow her own path.

Hiashi sat at his desk with his usual disappointed expression when she talked to him. Her knuckles tapped against the edge of the door frame and she waited for him to acknowledge her arrival. "Enter," he stated.

Hinata walked to his desk and knelt at the small cushion in front of it. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she bowed her head, wondering what the matter was. She had not done anything wrong recently, if her memory served her. She discovered the problem soon enough.

"It has come to my attention that you have a dallience with the Kazekage," said her father. "I hope this information is incorrect, because the Hyuuga clan cannot have a scandal on their hands."

Hinata blushed and wondered on what was correct to say. At times, when having a serious talk with her father, she became so worried that all the words froze in her throat and her brain could not manage to form coherent sentences. She was a statue, in essence, and that was a difficult habit to break. She worried her lip and struggled to urge the words past the lump in her throat. "It is not true. We are just friends," she said. Her father narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.

"You must ensure that your future interactions with the Kazekage are nonexistant. He is the leader of Suna and you are not in a position of power. The Hyuugas' reputation to other nations is of vital importance. Do you understand what I am saying?" he asked.

Hinata felt her stomach churn and tears prickle at the back of her eyes. The shame was difficult to handle as always and she struggled to maintain her composure in front of him. "I understand," she said, and then, to her surprise, added, "but I do not see the harm in befriending the Kazekage. It is beneficiary to establish a good relationship with people of power, isn't that right, Father? If I have the Kazekage as my friend, eventually he will realize the benefits of knowing a Hyuuga?" Her clan politics drowned her entire life and she knew how important it was to keep face. Her father feared that she would ruin their clan's image and she had to convince him otherwise.

Her father was speechless for a moment, though his expression did not reveal any surprise. "So the Hyuuga clan's reputation is forefront on your mind?" he asked.

"As it is always," said Hinata. He'd certainly talked enough about it to make it stick in her mind. Her father dismissed her then and though it might be foolish, she took it to be a good sign. She left the room and hurried back to her own bedroom, where she could rid herself of some of the embarrassment.

She wished it was night already, when she could be herself, really and truly. Perhaps if she just sat on her bed and rested for a little while, it'd kill some time. Despite her nerves, she closed her eyes and opened them to darkness outside the window. What time was it? 8 pm. It was not even late enough for Gaara to go to bed.

Hinata moved to her window and leaned against the wall as she looked outside. The tall tree directly across from her room had broad branches with a reasonable distance between them – usually empty. Gaara was standing on a branch, back against the trunk, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared into the darkness.

Her breath caught in her throat and she opened the window. Her fingers tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. "Gaara-sama!" she whispered to get his attention. He turned his head towards her and his arms dropped to his sides. "I didn't expect to see you so early." She said it before she could help it, but words spilled from her easier at night.

"I would not have slept until I came here," he said, and it seemed as though he wanted to add something, but changed his mind at the last moment. The meaning of what he had said did not occur to her until a few seconds later. Did he say that he was excited or restless to see her in an indirect way? Gaara-sama was not often indirect, from what she could tell.

Hinata smiled. Knowing he had been just as impatient gave her confidence that perhaps it was not such a foolish idea being friends with him after all. They fell into silence for a little while before she broke out of her hesitation and leapt from the window to join him on the branch.

Her jump was somewhat angled, so she landed close to him on the branch. They stared at each other, just breathing. Her heart pounded, butterflies fluttered around inside her stomach and the gentle breeze did nothing to calm her nerves.

His green eyes weren't as blank as they were during the day. The faint light reflected off of the well of secret sadness. Fifteen seconds passed and their eyes remained locked. Gaara turned then, as his gourd unpopped itself and sand pooled in the air besides their feet.

"Let's fly," he said and stepped onto the round disc of floating sand. Hinata followed suit – it was just large enough for the two of them to stand, shoulders brushing.

The sand hovered upwards at a snail's pace, increasing in speed as they rose above the Hyuuga house's roof.

Hinata delighted in feeling the wind rushing past her ears and the sight of the village below them. Stars twinkled in the heavens and for the first time in her life, she felt as if she might be able to touch one.

"Do you travel like this often?" Hinata wondered.

"No," said Gaara. "But it feels as though it slows time." And it did. The stars were endless above them and the more she gazed, the more they drew her into their depths.

"I never want to leave." Her words were just a whisper, but Gaara heard. He lifted the sand higher, until the lights of Konoha were dots glowing like fireflies. The wind was chillier this far up and she shivered.

A strange sensation crept up her legs and she looked down to see sand snakes curling around her until they reached her shoulders. Instead of the coldness she expected, the sand was warm as it rested on her skin. It was not too heavy either, but perhaps that was Gaara's doing.

She turned her head to look at him. Should she be offended or grateful? Nonetheless, she could not deny that she was warmer now. "What is this?" she asked.

"Sand Armor," he said. "Are you uncomfortable?" He hesitated a moment before asking his question, as if it just occurred to him her discomfort was a possibility.

Hinata shook her head. "No. Thank you." She smiled. Just as an experiment, she stretched her arm forward and pulled it back towards her to feel the sand's prickly grating against her skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gaara watching her. Her cheeks warmed under the knowledge of his gaze, but she did her best to ignore it. It was a small price to pay to be where she was right now.

"Is it possible to fly some more?" she asked him, posing it as a gentle question so he could refuse if he wanted. There was a pause before he answered in the affirmative.

Gaara sent the sand cloud onwards, steady enough so that they wouldn't fall off of it. The wind whipped through Hinata's hair once more, crisp and cool enough to bring tears to her eyes. Her body from the neck down was protected and warm, and the sand softened the wind hitting her body to just a mild sensation. Did this mean Gaara was almost numb to touch?

She reached out to take his hand.


	4. Plum Wine

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate them. ;)

**Plum Wine**

.

.

Gaara stared at the hand in front of him. His stomach flipped and churned. He wasn't sure what to make of this, what she had done. All he knew that it was too soon.

"Not yet," he said. He was not ready to relinquish control now- he needed more time. Yes, they had shared a kiss in the past and he still had to determine how he felt about that. He liked it, yes, but he couldn't let her take control all the time. That dark, twisted part of his mind would not let him.

"Oh." Hinata withdrew her hand and looked guilty. Gaara might have felt guiltier if the Shukaku voice in the back of his mind told him that he needed to be stronger. "I'm sorry," she added and Gaara furrowed his brow. It seemed to give her the wrong impression and he cursed himself, not sure what to do next.

"This is new to me." Everything was new to him when it came to this. Knowing what to do next was impossible, really. She nodded and looked downwards. Something he said had to be wrong, but he didn't know what.

So they let the silence swallow them. Gaara stared at the stars to pass the next half a minute. Was this it? Maybe he should remove the Sand Armor.

But then she spoke. "Would you like to come with me to… a special place no one else knows about, to make it up to you." Something in her expression weakened the temptation he had to go and so he agreed after a moment.

He lowered them down onto the ground and they stepped off the sand cloud. Hinata led the way again, as she had the first night. Perhaps Gaara might have been worried if he was not in a village allied with the Sand and he didn't possess a fierce sand defense. He wasn't sure he had any sense of fear anymore either.

.

.

They went into the outskirts of the village, through side streets, until they came to a small restaurant. More of a diner or a café in terms of size. Hinata opened the door and a middle-aged woman – civilian – greeted her with a wrinkled face and yellowed teeth.

"Hinata-san!" said the woman and offered a small smile. "What'll you have?" She didn't really wait for Hinata to answer before she continued. "I have some special plum wine for you to try. I know how much you like it." Hinata blushed and glanced over at Gaara, as if she was embarrassed by this secret. She should not be drinking so early, but he didn't care. She was not part of his village and if it did not affect her normal kunoichi duties, then she would not get into trouble with her own.

Gaara glanced at the wooden walls, cut and scratched. This was too dirty a place for the prim and proper Hyuuga. "How often do you visit this…restaurant?" he asked, for lack of better word.

Hinata twirled the end of some of her hair. She didn't want to look at him while she did that, so she must still be embarrassed. "O-often. It's safe." Her eyes met his now, silence falling between them. There were some secrets of hers she didn't want anyone to tell.

"It will remain safe." After all, he was good at keeping secrets. No one to tell except himself and Shukaku's shadow. Hinata gave him a relieved smile and both of them said nothing for a little while.

The woman interrupted their silence by offering them some egg fried rice. Gaara wasn't hungry and did not want to pay for it, but Hinata did. It was decent of her.

_(Take her outside, rip the delicate flesh off her lips.)_ Shukaku's shadow reared its head again and he pushed the voice to the back of his mind. He took a pair of chopsticks and tested the egg fried rice because the woman and Hinata were watching him. "It's good," he said, which wasn't really a lie. The woman laughed in a rasp and left.

Hinata furrowed her brow and rose the cup of plum wine to her lips. She sipped at it before she gulped. Gaara downed the whole cup and poured more for the both of them. If they were going to drink, they would drink like lords.

Gaara noticed that she followed suit and finished her cup as well. She drank more than he thought a quiet ninja like her would. Odd - but he didn't mind. His constitution allowed him to drink without worry of the consequences and so they both had half a dozen cups each.

Red tinges spread across their cheekbones and shimmers of smiles crossed Hinata's face. "I think you should go to places like this in Suna," she said. "It will be good for you to bond with your people. Better than being uptight like my clan." Everyone knew it - she had not voiced it to anyone, but she trusted him with the secret.

"Most clans are." Gaara said that as if he stated the weather. She burst into quiet laughter and a small smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. It disappeared, but his good mood did not.


End file.
